Chase Away the Flu

American Red Cross Flu Prevention Tips

Somerville, NJ January 11, 2007 – It’s the season of coughs, sneezes and sniffles. The Greater Somerset County Chapter of the American Red Cross encourages everyone to take an active role in preventing the spread of the flu, colds and other illnesses.

“There are precautions you can take to reduce your chances of getting sick and spreading illness to others,” says Red Cross Health and Safety Services Director, Kenneth Salvatore, “Some of this - like basic hygiene - is very easy to do, and can make a real difference in keeping you and the people around you healthy. Hand washing is one of the easiest and best ways to prevent the spread of the flu and many other diseases. Be sure to use antibacterial soap and hot water to kill germs. Scrub your fingers and clean under your fingernails.”

Mr. Salvatore continued, “We offer Scrubby Bear – a personal hygiene program to teach children ages 4 to 7 how germs are spread, how to prevent the spread of disease and how to properly wash their hands. This early training has proven to be very successful in increasing hygiene awareness in young children. ”

Here are some tips for preventing the flu:

• Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. Try not to use your hand to cover your mouth because you can spread germs when you touch other surfaces. Keep tissues on hand – for yourself and to offer to others who may be coughing or sneezing near you. Throw out used tissues right away.


• Use hand sanitizers. Keep a supply of alcohol based hand sanitizer gels on hand for yourself and others. They can be used when you can’t get to a sink. Antibacterial sanitizer towelettes can also be used to clean your face, hands and body.


• Keep surfaces clean. Germs are spread when a sick person touches surfaces, such as a doorknob or sink, and then someone else touches that same surface. Stock up on antibacterial wipes. Keep some in your car, home and office. They can be used in all kinds of places and on all kinds of surfaces. Use them in public places such as restaurants and public bathrooms, or anywhere a flu virus or bacteria may be spread.


• Avoid close contact. If you have the flu, stay home from work or school to avoid spreading the illness to others. Likewise, If you notice that someone nearby is sick, avoid close contact with them.


• Get a flu shot. The best way to prevent the flu is to get vaccinated each year. The elderly, children, pregnant women and people with chronic medical conditions are most vulnerable, and should get annual flu shots.


• Maintain healthy habits. Smoking and excessive drinking can weaken the body’s ability to fight disease. However, cooking and serving nutritious whole foods, including foods with plenty of Vitamin C, as well as other fruits and vegetables and yogurt, can all help boost immunity to infections and viruses.

For more information on the Scrubby Bear – Personal Hygiene program, please contact Kenneth Salvatore at (908)725-2217.

For more information about flu prevention, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at: www.cdc.gov/.

You can also find more helpful tips at WebMD: www.webmd.com/content/pages/5/4068_103.htm.

The American Red Cross is where people mobilize to help their neighbors—across the street, across the country and across the world—in emergencies. Each year, in communities large and small, victims of some 70,000 disasters turn to neighbors familiar and new—the nearly 1 million volunteers and 35,000 employees of the Red Cross. Through almost 825 locally supported chapters, more than 15 million people gain the skills they need to prepare for and respond to emergencies in their homes, communities and world. Some 4 million people give blood—the gift of life—through the Red Cross, making it the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States. The Red Cross helps thousands of U.S. service members separated from their families by military duty stay connected. As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, a global network of 181 national societies, the Red Cross helps restore hope and dignity to the world's most vulnerable people. An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work.